Q&A: Photo Production makes medicines from waste

KOBE University Start-up Photo-on-Demand Chemical Co. Ltd. has demonstrated that methane can be produced from sewage to refine it into pharmaceutical ingredients and other useful chemicals. To this end, Tsuda Akihiko, CEO and Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Science, and his team have developed a “light production” method that produces such chemicals by shining light on methane and chlorine and other such.

The company was established in April 2024 and began demonstration testing at a sewage treatment plant in Kobe City in September. Tsuda talks about the background of Japan’s decarbonization policy known as “green transformation” (GX) and research that promotes future development.

What made you start researching Hikari Productions?

The first trigger was when I thought about how to dispose of chloroform, which is used in graduate experiments. Chloroform is not easily flammable, so it had to be incinerated using twice the amount of kerosene.

It was known that there is a method of decomposition of chloroform by exposing it to light. However, due to the difficulty in inducing the reaction, only small amounts of chloroform can be degraded using this method, and it was thought not worth the effort. Around 2008, we began investigating whether it could be disassembled in large quantities.

As a researcher, you only get one chance in your life, so I was very hoping to do research that would benefit society as a whole, put it in practical use.

How has research progressed?

During our study, we discovered that chloroform can decompose very efficiently upon exposure to intense UV rays. Furthermore, a distinctive feature of our study was that we not only decomposed chloroform, but also considered it to be phosgene, a chemical produced during the decomposition process.

Phosgene is a very useful substance and is widely used as a raw material for polyurethanes. But it is very toxic and it poses such a serious risk, so it is to preserve it. Therefore, I came up with the idea of ​​immediately causing a chemical reaction with phosgene produced during decomposition and converting it into a useful compound.

The series of methods we have developed is the world’s first “Photo-on-Demand Organic Synthesis Method.” Using this synthetic method, Phosgene disappears quickly, leaving only the necessary compounds behind. Furthermore, phosgene production will cease if light irradiation stops, making it extremely safe.

It took more than 10 years for this study to be made public. One reason behind this is the dangerous nature of phosgene. Phosgene has refrained from publishing the paper until it is safe to see the safety of the technology it has developed, as it can be reused as a weapon in one stage. Also, few people evaluated our research in the first few years.

Only staff responsible for the industrial association collaboration at KOBE University rushed to realize collaborative research with the company, and this support led to current results.

In demonstration experiments launched this year, the system uses methane as a raw material to produce phosgene. How does this connect with previous research?

Since around 2016, we have been conducting joint research with companies on how to use chloroform as a raw material. However, the production scale required by large companies was extremely large, and there were many challenges in terms of actual applications.

Therefore, from 2023, we began focusing on methane as an alternative ingredient. Of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, carbon dioxide accounts for 76%, and since then methane (18%). In the past, methane was thought to be difficult to convert into chemicals, so there has been little research into its use as a chemical compared to carbon dioxide.

However, I came up with the idea that it may be possible to produce phosgene by combining methane, chlorine and oxygen to use photo-on-demand organic synthesis methods.

It was an idea that emerged from years of accumulated research. The use of methane is also groundbreaking in terms of facilitating green conversion. We built the system and filed a patent in consultation with the intellectual property staff at Kobe University.

The idea of ​​using methane from sewage treatment plants was because every time I passed a treatment plant in the Eastern Nada district of Kobe, I was interested in big tanks.

When I looked into it, I learned that methane produced in the sewage treatment process is used as biogas. Furthermore, when we consulted KOBE University Innovation Co. Ltd. (KUI), which supports ventures at Kobe University, discussions progressed regarding cooperation with KOBE city in preparation for the experiment starting in April 2024.

Why did you set up a company?

The establishment of a company is closely related to the initiation of methane use. Based on past experience, rather than working with existing companies to aim for large-scale production, we can realize practical applications as startups, and provide high-value chemicals on a small to medium scale. It could be faster to produce.

In fact, the chemicals produced from phosgene are diverse, including pharmaceutical ingredients, pesticide ingredients, adhesives, and flavorings. Furthermore, the global market for the production of chemicals made from phosgene is said to be worth several trillions of yen, so the market is enormous.

Can we expect further expansion of demonstrations at sewage treatment plants in the future?

As sewage treatment plants are located nationwide, demonstration experiments in Kobe are of great importance from a future development perspective. That means imagining a future in which sewage treatment plants become factories for chemical production.

This research was born in Kobe, and aims to first establish Kobe as a hub for Hikari Productions. In addition to the Easternada treatment plants, where demonstration experiments are being conducted, they hope to use biogas to expand to other treatment plants. This project is also very useful from an educational perspective, as Kobe University students are involved in the demonstration experiment.

We are also collaborating with Osaka City.

Can you share your outlook as a startup?

Our research is the world’s first initiative to upcycle waste into chemical raw materials. Waste is not limited to sewage. A variety of materials are also available, such as livestock fertilizers and food waste. When we explain the business of a company in a simple way, we say “companies that make medicines from poop.”

When promoting practical applications, it is important that the system is simple, does not incur high costs, and can be used safely by everyone.

As mentioned previously about the dangers of phosgene, we must always be aware that innovative inventions can be exploited. I believe it is essential to provide information to society in order to prevent misuse. As a society as a whole, it is necessary to monitor our research findings to ensure that people are enriched and used safely.

The system of producing chemicals from methane attracted inquiries from many companies both domestically and internationally. I recently signed a joint research agreement with Dks Co. Ltd. in Kyoto. In relation to this series of research, we have obtained and filed approximately 40 patents. We expect this number to exceed 100 in the future.

I think we will see significant progress in practical applications in the next year or two. As a startup at Kobe University, we would like to further advance our initiatives that benefit society.